On deck winches for sailing craft it is often desirable to provide what is commonly referred to as a self-tailing device, generally mounted on the upper end of the winch above its drum. Such a device provides a means for gripping and maintaining tension on the line around the winch drum so that wind-up and tailing of the line by the winch can be accomplished without slippage. An essential part of the self-tailing device is a so-called line-lifter element that directs the line from the winch drum to the self-tailer's gripping element.
This line-lifter element must remain stationary with respect to the drum in order to accomplish its essential function. Prior to the present invention, this requirement created a problem, namely that of providing a stationary portion of the winch structure at the upper end of the winch drum.
In previous winch designs the line-lifter element was secured to the upper end of a stationary base member. This was more easily done when the winch utilized complicated internal gearing to drive the drum. Heretofore, there was no way to provide a direct driving interconnection between the winch shaft and drum while also providing self-tailing.
A general object of the present invention is to provide a winch that solves the aforesaid problem and more specifically a winch having a self-tailing means and yet capable of providing a direct drive from the main shaft to the drum without complicated internal gearing.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a winch that provides a direct drive between main shaft and its drum and a self-tailing means with a fixed line-lifter that is held stationary by an extended base member of the winch.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a winch that provides both self-tailing and a direct drive made between main shaft and drum and which is particularly well-adapted for ease and economy of manufacture.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a winch wherein a self-tailing device is attached to an extended fixed base member that supports an axially offset shaft which is engaged intermittently by driving pawls in the drum which extend through an opening in the base member.